Wednesday, December 17, 2014

2014 Northern California Cross Country Awards

I will post the awards next week. In the meantime, please chime in on your choices. Somebody who should be considered for an award may be off the radar. Thank you in advance for your nominations.

2011 Award Winners
2012 Award Winners
2013 Award Winners
Feel free to share your comments below.

Most Valuable Runner (boys)-
Most Valuable Runner (girls)-

Most Impressive Performance (boys)-
Most Impressive Performance (girls)-

Most Impressive Performance (boys' team)-
Most Impressive Performance (girls' team)-

Most Inspirational (boys)-
Most Inspirational (girls)-

Most Improved Runner (boys)-
Most Improved Runner (girls)-

Lifetime Achievement Award (boys)-
Lifetime Achievement Award (girls)-

Buster Posey (rookie of the year)-
Buster Posey (rookie of the year)-

Best Robin to Batman (best supporting actor)-
Best Robin to Batman (best supporting actress)-

Best Three Amigos-
Best Three Amigas-

Boys Coach of the Year (Directing)-
Girls Coach of the Year (Directing)-

Any other awards?

35 comments:

Andrew said...

I like the girls rookie of the year conversation - Bowen, Kamas, Gee, or Finnane?

Boys is just Scales, right?

MVPs are pretty easy, right? O'Keeffe and Reinhart.

Not too keen on most impressive individual performances. But for the team performances - Bella Vista girls at state has to rank up there right? For boys, not sure. Maybe DLS at NCS? Probably much better ones.

Best 3 Amigos (boys) - I'll vote for the Gronks (Burkes for those who hadn't figured that out yet) and Downs of O'Dowd.

Best 3 Amigos (girls) - Davis? St. Francis? Not sure.

All that other stuff, I'll leave to the rest of you, wonderful fellow commenters. Just get some of the conversations started.

Anonymous said...

Most improved runner: Kathryn Loken. She shaved a couple minutes off her 5K time from 9th grade to 10th grade. She faltered a little at State, but still was over a minute faster this year. She ran a 17:49 at Stanford.

Anonymous said...

Sean Burke of O'dowd ran a 16:50 at state last year and ran 15:34 at state this year.
I feel like that kind of speaks for itself..

Ms Selena said...

I’m sure there are a lot of fine coaches out there, but I cannot say enough good things about the Bella Vista girls’ coach, Melanie Cleland. She is an incredible runner herself, but her motivation for coaching stems from her love of the sport and her enthusiasm for being outdoors. She has the technical knowledge to create an excellent running program, the patience to address individual needs, and such kindness and caring that the girls feel emotionally nourished and highly motivated. She is spontaneous and takes the girls on “adventure runs” and scavenger hunts. She continually thinks of new things to do without losing sight of the need for routine and structure. She is adored by her runners and their families.

Albert Caruana said...

Robert Miranda from Menlo School ran 16:12 at the state meet race. Any freshman surpass that performance at any point in the season?

Keep the comments coming.

Anonymous said...

Most improved has to be Liz Lacy. From 18:30 to 17:00 at Crystal. From 2nd girl on her own team to Top 10 at Footlocker. She was awesome last year, but 17:00 is off the charts.

Anonymous said...

Edward Chance ran 16:01 at State last year, placing 46, and 15:20 this year, placing 10th. That's nice improvement.

Anonymous said...

Girls coach of the year: Eric Morford, Liberty High School (Brentwood). In just two years since taking the coaching reigns for Liberty, he has turned a once mediocre program that couldn't even run a varsity team into a league champion and an NCS MOC contender. The girls just won their second consecutive BVAL (Bay Valley Athletic League) title after winning their first the year before, while the guys team has also run to two consecutive second place finishes. The girls also had their highest finish ever at NCS. They finished in 4th place and beat their previous best of 5th place from last year (the boys also finished 6th this year). All of this success has come in the past two seasons since Morford took over.

Ms Selena said...

Another note on Melanie Cleland as coach of the Bella Vista girls: the year she started coaching in 2011, the girls made it to State for the first time in school history. They were thrilled to be there and placed 22nd. In 2012, they placed 11th, then 7th the next year, and 2nd this year. Coach Cleland recognizes she has a great crop of talent and a lot of it is the luck of the draw, but I would have to say her coaching has brought strength to the program.

Anonymous said...

For the three amigos Bellermen has to be in the talk. They have impressive splits.

Anonymous said...

Batman and Robin for guys= Tom Robey and Daniel Jervis

Anonymous said...


Mens most improved runner Salem Bouhassoun MIssion SF

State champs 18:27 LY 16:09 this year D3
Crystal springs 18:32 LY 16:07 this year
9th at earlybird invite in junior race 16:25
4th at Lowell invite 15:21

Anonymous said...

robert miranda for rookie of the year...his 16:12 at state converts to 15:52 at Crystal.

Bill said...

Edward Chance is a stud, but if you are comparing state course improvement times then Sean Kurdy went from 16:04 to 15:18 this year. My vote for most improved.

On the other hand, biggest disappointment has to be Jesuit not making state, even though being ranked in top 10 in state all year.

Bill said...

Most Impressive Performance (girls)- Fionna O'keefe (Davis)

Most Impressive Performance (boys' team)- Placer Boys (5th in D3 State)
- highest SJS finish in 10 years.

Best Robin to Batman (best supporting actress)- Sofia Castiglione (Davis)

Boys Coach of the Year (Directing)- Robert Grove (Vista Del Lago) - 4 consecutive Section girls titles
Girls Coach of the Year (Directing)- Bella Vista Coach (2nd in state) Amazing season.
- The Bella Vista squad has been so much better with current coaching staff. I can remember when they struggled to have a full varsity squad, but that was like 1992. (okay I'm old)

kevin said...

Three Amigos- Bonilla, Munoz, and Orozco from King City.

Anonymous said...

Yeahhhhh I have a feeling that the three amigos category was made for the King City guys. I'd also like to recommend them for the most inspirational performance. The Scotts Valley boys team was really impressive though too, and I'm not sure where that fits in, but to seemingly come out of nowhere and take their first podium placing merits some respect.

Anonymous said...

3 Amigos - Hands down the 3 KC boys (did you see their post-race interview on dyestatcal?!? Don't get me wrong, love Bellarmine and what coach Patrick does with that program year after year, but the 3 KC boys gotta get lifted up this season w/ their CCS win and 2nd place State finish) & agreed that they should get most inspirational as well.

Most Impressive Performance Girl - easy, Fiona O'Keefe.

Most Improved Girl - again an easy choice, Lizzie Lacy (Caruana has her not only as the most improved in NorCal but possibly the Nation!) as well as for Most Inspirational. Read the articles on her especially by Vytas on the Merc Local.

Also the Coach of the Year award you can put down anyone. I don't think this should be an award as we all know this is all about the kids not the coaches.

It'll be interesting to see the final results though (fun read.) Happy Holidays everyone.

Ms Selena said...

at Anonymous 4:36... Wow. The coaches give so much. How could it not be about them too?

Phil said...

Best Three Amigas: Davis Girl

Rookie of the year: For sure Toni Finnane


Batman/robin: Peyton Bilo/Miranda Myers
Fiona Okeeffe/Sofia Castiglioni
Toni Finnane/DiPentino
??????

Anonymous said...

Batman and Robin- Finanne and Leach. Great 1-2 punch.
Most Inspirational- Hansel. Had to battle Batman and Robin every race, alone.

Andrew said...

Isn't it just Robin to someone else's Batman? So it should be an individual who is an excellent #2 to a #1. Naturally that leads us to two teammates who are close to each other. But I didn't think it was for two teammates. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anonymous said...

Best Three Amigas: Finnane, Leach, & Orders from Campo.

Anonymous said...

The 3 kids from Carlmont were pretty good. All qualified to State as individuals. Ratliff and Friedman made a really nice duo.

Anonymous said...

Burkes for everything

Anonymous said...

At Selena McKinney, I agree with you 110% but at the same time if you really want some recognition, then we are in the wrong business...it is all about the kids...I'm a coach myself and have spent numerous hours doing what XC coaches don't normally do, but at the end of the day, it's all about the kids. Who is to say one coach is better than the other?!?!? That's not what coaching is about at all. But I agree with you, coaches do a lot for sure...

Anonymous said...

Coach of the year...CHUCK!

Anonymous said...

Juliana Mount was pretty impressive if you can call her a rookie. Her first year of XC (as a senior) and gets 25th at state is pretty good. Lucas Matison has to get some inspiration points though

Anonymous said...

um, Finnane was a first year as a senior, came in 2nd in D-3 and went to Footlocker Nationals.

Ms Selena said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

The king city boys undoubtedly should be the best 3 Amigos. Their times at toro park at CCS were: 15:52, 15:59 and 16:00.

Anonymous said...

I know this one wasn't on there, but for most improved team how about the Monte Vista boys. In the last three years they have moved from 13th, to 8th to 2nd in NCS

Anonymous said...

I also like Jervis and Robey for Batman and Robin.If Robey had a bad race, Jervis had his back and vice versa...

Anonymous said...

No affiliation whatsoever but that is an impressive state about MV boys! New category?

GH said...

Albert:
How about next year a vote for the best unsung team, one that is not a champion team but, has the respect of other runners and coaches alike. Again, not for being in the top three but, for being the essence of what we as true runners love to see. Is there such a boy's or girl's team out there?

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